St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-01-15

A. temptinsiy ssar him sAe goodies vsss
And johnny most thouehtfully eyed them
"Why. nammA. think that's vesy nice way.
Come here. Tommy--you nay divide them.
-Sidmsv Dosvs, - Yos1AS C0aponte~.
BLIND BOYS AND GIRLS.
The Woadsrful ThAnss they Are Taught
ut - InssitutSea In South Bsstoa.
am sure not all The boys and girls
who read this article have ever stopped
to think how it would seem to be blind.
To never see the bright blue sky. or the
running brooks. not to know how the
plainest little singing-bird looks. not
even to know the shape Of the house he
lives in. to - constantly in total dark
ness-can you imagine ite
None Of us. perhaps. realize how
many poor children there are who can
not see, unless he has been. q have.
to . great institution. like the Perkins
Institution for the Blind in South Bos-
ton. and seen there the great number Of
boys and girls who are being taught to
see thro ugh the ends Of their 6ngers-
that is funny expression. isn't it! Yet
that ID just what they do. Most people
suppose that blind people are born with
. marvelously delicate sense of touch.
That ID . mistake. Probably they, as
babies. have no more delicate touch
than you had. It is only - one faculty
is educated far beyond others that Il
ezcsls them. B:ndage up your eyes. my
boy. and keep them 50 for two weeks,
depending on your sense of touch to
guide you everywhere. You would be
amused to see how many mistakes you
would make, and how much you would
improve in that one sense in that short
time. And yet you would have the ad-
vantage over the boy who never saw, in
that you know the shape Of familiar OBJ
jects.
What" I exclaimed, on my visit to
the school for the blind. ''those boys are
not blind!'
Totally Sc" replied the teacher.
What do you suppose they were do
ing? Throwing little ones that
they picked up on tho walk-at each
Wont they get hurt:'' I exclaimed.
It seemed impossible that they could
pick up and throw stones at random.
with any safety.
.sOh, no." said the teacher. .They
run no more risk than ordinary children
playing the same way. They know
where each other child il, and how far
it will do TO throw"
But was more surprised when went
indoors and saw what they could do.
Perhaps some Of you have seen books
or papers for the blind. with their raised
letters. or heard them read, rapidly and
well, from their books. But Ihave seen
. young girl sit down and thread
sewing girl into whose brain
the faintest ray Of light can not pierce.
But her white fingers moved rapidly
and delicately from one point to another
until the complicated machinery was
mastered and the machine threaded.
These children, some of them nearly
grown when they enter the school. have
to begin to learn by cultivating the
touch. This is done 1t the Perkins
Institution BY adopting the kindergar-
ten system. X Reading Sy touch Is iar
ed in tracing embroidered patterns on
sewing cards. weaving the delicate |
paper and modelling in clay. You would
marvel to see the tiny baskets. chairs |
and houses woven in col0red straWs or |
paper-strips. Every corner is fitted per-
fectly. every color contrasted exactly |
with its neighbor. The only difference
between the work of these blind children |
and those who can see is-shall say it.
childrene-that their work il far more
correct in details. There are no loose
ends or careless leavings in il
Monday. in the Perkins Institution. i
sewing day." when they embroider
white cards with woFseed, in marked
patterns-or, rather. picked patterns.
Their fingers follow the holes, and they
patiently carry the needles which they |
have threaded with bright-colored |
worsted, in and out Of these holes. A.
terwsrd. BY tracing the worsted lines.
they say they ''see just how it looks"
Tuesday is their ''cushion-day." In .
pleasant room. gay with plants and sun
shine, they gather round . horseshoe |
table. On It are red and gray cushions.
with lot Of doll hair-pins in ono cor
ner. Sometimes they use sticks and
sometimes tablets ol wood with these
cushions. With tho sticks they make
tents. houses, ladders, chairs, bird
houses. or any thing they please. fasten-
ing down the sticks With the hair-pins
With the tablets they make patchwork
Of rcd and white squareA The tablets
have little holes drilled in them. 80 they
may b fastened down with pins, and
little notches on the side distinguish the
rad from the white
Wednesdays work is tho weaving Of
eolored papers. This ID very important
work. - il il the foundation of their A.
ter work Of cane-seating and basket
weaving, by which many ol them earn
their living. But they are very enthus-
iastic over il; and the choosing of .
nsw paper mat and the color Of the
strands they will weave it in. il one Of
just - much interest to them - TO
seeing-children. On Thursday they
have cubes. The little boxes
containing eight tiny cubes do
not look so very attractive. But just
wait and zee what can be done with
thsm. and the fun they have. Some
times they form professions with them.
Then they make houses and chairs and
al sorts Of things. One girl made .
school. with desks vide apart 80 the
couldn't whisper. and another
illustrated the stosy Of 'The Three
Bears." making tie house, the beds
and the chains.
Friday is .'clay day" in al kinder
g.rtsas, and ID the delight Of the week |
q Perkins Institutioa. And their touch |
In N 6olicaAe and 70 accuratA that vou